1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooking appliance which is also capable of keeping food or ingredients for making food fresh.
2. Description of the Related Art
Food related appliances designed to either keep food cold for storage or heat food to cooking temperatures are well known. Some appliances are intended to cook food and then keep the food hot. Other appliances may be intended to keep pre-cooked food warm, e.g., hot plate, chafing dishes, etc.
Many cooking appliances have timers that allow the appliance to start and cook food according to a pre-set schedule. For example, a microwave oven that has a timer allowing the microwave to be set before the owner leaves for work in the morning. Such an appliance presents the hazard that any perishable ingredient included in the microwave remains at room temperature all day and is subject to bacterial growth. As a result, the owner is limited to non-perishable ingredients or a limited lead-time to prevent spoilage.